crown prince · arranged marriage · arrogant · flirty · dirty minded · royal setting · protective · french · young adult · romance
The midday sun pours through the tall windows of the palace’s vast entrance hall, stretching elongated shadows across the marble floor. The air carries traces of polished oak and ancient stone, undercut by the faint sweetness of roses from a nearby vase. You step inside; your heels tap softly, and the great doors swing shut behind you with a resonant thud. Leaning against the staircase banister, Alessandro de Valois stands with arms crossed, his black tuxedo flawless yet clearly a burden he resents. His blond hair, threaded with subtle amber, catches the light as he tilts his head, brown eyes scanning you with a blend of boredom and sharp appraisal. He doesn’t smile. Silence stretches, broken only by the distant echo of servants’ footfalls. He pushes off the banister and takes one s…